Improvement in preparations of wool-oil



iINire STATES .ATENI Fries.

THOMAS BARROl/VS, OF DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PREPARATION S OF WOOL-OIL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs BARROWS, of Dedham, in the county of Norfolkand State of Massachusetts, have made an invention or discovery of a newand useful improvement in the treatment of wool preparatory to its beingcarded, spun, or woven; and I do hereby declare that the following isadesoription of the principle and application of my invention.

To facilitate the mechanical operations on wool it is the commonpractice to use oil preparatory to carding it, by which the fibers areloosened, and the naturally-adhering varnishlike matter not removed inthe scouring is softened. In the subsequent steps, in forming therovings and spinning, the oil previously added prevents or muchdiminishes the excitation of electrical attraction, which in the coldermonths would very much interfere with the production of good rovin gs oreven thread. The oil'as usually added to some extent overcomes theseobstacles to the certainty and uniformity of the manufacture of wool bymachinery, but its use involves the increased expenses of removing itfrom the fabricated articles wholly or, as usual, only partially by theuse of soap or some other chemical agents,

and especially before the goods can be perfectly dyed,-as the oil underthe management does not fully efl'ect all that is desired. Manufacturers of yarns or cloth from wool, in order to produce the requiredresults, are often led into experimenting on different kinds of oils andmixtures of oils, or mixtures of oils and saponaceous compounds. Thegeneral requirement I have found to be the presence of aqueous moisturethrough all the steps of the mechanical operations. Purely oiled woolhas a strong tendency to lose even the naturally-combined water of itsfibers, the different kinds of oil showing in this connection differentcharacters in inducing this loss. Hence in order that water might beretained entangled by the oil manufacturers have used oilandammoniawater in the form of an emulsion. Gelatinous bodies-likecommon gluehave been used, which, aside from putrefying, often renderimpossible the oleansin g of the fabricated articles in cold fluids. Myown experiments, continued through many years, have led me to the use ofpeculiarmucilaginous substances, combined or mixed with oil, eithernaturally or artificially. As an instance, the mucilage of flaxseed andsimilar seeds contains much entangled oil, and with a small addition ofoil will answer as a substitute for oil within certain limits of time;but most of theseoils having a drying nature, wool on which the mucilagehas been used cannot be safely stored on ac count of the danger there isof spontaneous combustion. I have resorted to the use of those kinds ofmucilage which, retaining water, do notbecome dry or adhesive when usedalone or mixed with oil; and my invention, discovcry, or improvement hasas its principle the use of such mucilage from plants and seeds as is ofa kind that retains moisture, does not readily dry, and yet can be mixeduniformly with oils. In forming the mixture I also keep in view thenature of the oil, and, avoiding the use of siccative oils, prefer thepurified oleic acid, or so-called elaine, which is to a small extentsoluble in water, and is an article of great importance in the treatmentof wool. Its application thereto I do not claim to have been the firstto make.

In applying my invention the first step is I the preparation of a clearmucilageby boiling in water the substance affording mucilage, such ascarrigeen, Irish moss, or other marine plants of allied species yieldingmucilage freely. These I prefer for the qualities ofthe matterextracted, as well as for the abundance and cheapness of the material,it being an almost worthless product on most parts of our sea-coast. Onepound (avoirdupois) of Irish moss or similar plants affording mucilage,after having been carefully washed in cold water, so as entirely toremove the sea-salt, may be dissolved in eight or ten gallons (winemeasure) of water by steepingfor six or twelve hours while the water istepid, and afterward boiling by a dry steam pipe or coil until solutiontakes place. Seeds and mosses may be treated in the same Way or byboiling over the fire and constant stirring. The clear mucilage may thenbe used to impregnate the wool, using from one to two and one-halfgalions for every one hundred pounds of wool, and afterward adding fromone to one and one-half gallon of oil to the moistened wool; or in mostcases it is preferable to follow a uniform emulsion by agitating tengallons of the mucilage with one or one and one-halfgallon of oil.

Having thus obtained the mixture of mucilage and oil, I apply it toordinary grades of wool, using it in the proportion of eleven or twelvegallons to one hundred pounds of wool, and which afterward may besubmitted to the usual operations of carding and spinning. At each stepof these operations the wool is found to be better adapted than whenoiled with oil solely, and all tendency to become electrically excitedis destroyed; but the advantage attending the use of this mixture ismore fully realized when the yarn or flannel is to be cleansed. It isthen found that the moisture of the mucilage has loosened the dressingand other adhering matter of the fibers, so that a weak solution ofcarbonate of soda or prepared soda-ash will at once remove oil,mucilage, and dressing, leaving the fibers clean and of unusualwhiteness. hen the flannel in the process of manufacture is to be fulledI add to it, while it is still imbued with oil and mucilage, so much ofa solution made in the proportions of and from one pound of carbonate ofsoda or prepared soda-ash to eight gallons of water as may be requiredto produce a consistent soapy mixture on the cloth. This done, theflannel is to be placed directly in the mill, Where the fulling proceedsin an even and expeditious manner. After this operation has beenperformed the goods may be washed in the usual manner, no addition ofsoap being required. It will be observed that the volume of mucilage islarge in comparison with that of the oil, the intention being topreserve a due degree of moisture in the fiber through the successivesteps of the manufacture. The oil is used in connection with themucilage for the purpose of forming a soap with the alkaline base of theprepared soda-ash among the fibers when the yarn or cloth is to becleansed, or for lubricating and softening the imbrications on thefibers, so that theylwill readily felt in the falling-mill when theflannels are to be milled. The risk and expense attending the use ofsoap in the ordinary mode of fulling cloth are thus avoided. I use andprefer the elaine instead of ordinary oils for l forming the emulsion,as the latter do not so easily make soaps in uniting with the base ofthe carbonated alkali, unless after several weeksexposuretoair.Inthesubsequentsteps the manufacture of the goods is carried on asusual, the effect of the mucilage and oil in more perfectly cleansingthe cloths being apparent in the finish obtained.

Gummy substances have been used for imparting a fugitive gloss to thepins and surfaces of goods; but my improvement renders such a resortunnecessary, and it has no con- -nection with such means of finishing.

In basing my claim of invention or improvement on the mucilaginousmatter, I do not include albuminous or gelatinous matter of animalorigin nor ammoniacal or other alka line emulsions which have beenbefore used, but restrict myself to the use of those watery solutions ofmucilage from plants and seeds whose muculent character is distinguishedfrom the gum or glue-like character of those substances heretoforeused-by not drying out from the mixture with oil when on the fibers ofthe wool. I use any of the oils adapted to oiling wool in mixture withmucilage, although such mixture, by rest for a longer or a shorter time,will become separated into oil, which floats, and mucilage, whichsubsides; but prefer the prepared oleic acid or elaine mixture, as itoften remains uniform several days. I, however, lay no claim to theapplication and use of oleic acid, as described; but .VVhat I claim asmy invention or discovery For the treatment and imbuing of wool duringor previous to its manufacture into yarn or cloth, the applicationthereto of mucilage possessing an attraction for water, such being foundin sea-mosses and allied vegetable product-ions, or in variousseeds-such as fiaxsecd or quince-seed-it being used either alone or inmixture with an oil or some other material.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 12th day ofMay, A. D. 1855.

THOMAS BARROWS.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr.

